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Devotions > Ask Anything

In My Name
28 May 2012

 

God has given us His covenant promise:  If you ask anything in my name I will do it.   While this is a familiar verse to most of us, perhaps a brief review might be informative.  To take a focused look at this promise let’s examine some of the separate ingredients and review the context of this covenant.

First, this promise was given voluntarily by the Second Person of the God Head.   Every promise given by Jesus is a valid covenant of God and has the full force of the entire God Head standing behind it.   This means that this promise/covenant is true, always true and will never fail.  

As in any covenant, we must understand clearly each of its details in order to meet all of its requirements and thus receive all of the benefits.

Jesus began this promise with the conditional word if.   This tells us that we may receive the promise onlyif we perform the requirements that are our part.   What is our part?   First we must ask; and we must ask in His name.   The Amplified Bible expands the idea of asking in Jesus’ name with the words:  as presenting all that I AM.

There has been much written on this subject: Prayingin Jesus’ name.    By way of review we offer this statement by Warren Wiersbe: “To know God’s name is to know His nature, what He is and what He wants to do.   God answers prayer in order to honor His name; therefore prayer must be in His will.”

The larger context of this promise is found in the garden of “faith” under the trellis of “greater works than these.”   To ask anything in His Name is the centerpiece of a beautiful bouquet among the other attractive supporting flora of:  foundational belief in Jesus, faith in His veracity to fulfill His every promise, and Jesus’ love for and His desire to bring glory to His Father.

We cannot craft our desires into the territory of God’s will or cause them to somehow morph on to the terrain of His Name.   No, rather, we must get to know God, as opposed to trying to get God to approve of our plans and motives.   Perhaps the more we get to know God as He has revealed Himself the more potential power becomes available to us as we become more able to pray in His name.

As to application, we desire to consider Jesus’ covenant promise in regard to prayer for revival. First, Wow!  As we pray for revival by faith with pure and humble hearts to honor God and not ourselves, we can have the full assurance that God will hear and answer this prayer!

Regarding the matter of pure hearts, God gave some specific direction to Solomon.   II Chronicles 7:14: “If my people who are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven , forgive their sins and heal their land.”

It is clear from the Word of God and from the history of the Church that God desires to bring revival to His people and to His Church.   Of this there can be no doubt.   What is in question are the things that are required on our side.   The desire to humble ourselves could certainly be in question.   Even the command to pray according to God’s will may at times be clearly in question.   Oh yes we pray.   But for what do we pray?   Are we praying primarily for the things that bring great glory to God or are we primarily praying for the things that bring comfort and peace and prosperity to ourselves?   Do we, in our prayers, put our desires before His honor?    Do we prioritize our selfish requests ahead of His glory?  God must be first.  We must have nothing before Him!

This brings us again to our prayers for revival.    Why do we pray, if we pray for revival?   Is it to see His kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven, or is it to make things better for us and for our church here on earth?    While there are many problems in our Nation, it is not the desire for solutions to these problems that should prompt our hearts to pray for revival.   No, our desire must be for God’s glory and for the building of His kingdom.    These are the desires that should stimulate our prayers for revival!   Jesus died for this cause.

It seems that our marching orders are clear.   We should pray.   We should pray from humble and pure hearts.  We should pray from humble and pure hearts in faith.   We should pray from a humble pure heart of faith that God will bring a revival that will bring indescribable glory to His name!

We should prepare our hearts to pray aright.  Then we should be obliged to pray that His kingdom will come and His will will be done on earth as it is in heaven.   This prayer will be heard and answered from our Father Who is in Heaven!

  

Jeff Williams